A Cyborg's Humanity
by Starboy34tcoos
Summary: Penny has been doubting herself a little and questions her purpose. Luckily a humble old man comes by to offer some advice.
**Hello everyone. This is just a little one shot I made about Penny and Kamen Rider Ichigo so I hope you enjoy it, positive constructive feedback is appreciated. Disclaimer: I do not own Penny or Ichigo. They are property of Rooster Teeth and Toei respectively.**

What did it really mean to be, "human"? What really is humanity? The young Polendina thought to herself as she sat over the edge of the cliff, watching the bright orange sunset in the distance. Since she met Ruby and her friends, Penny has for the first time felt & obtained true friendship. Ruby treated her like a normal person and not just some machine that had to be kept secret. Penny got to go to parties, hang out and walk around Vale, watch movies, eat at various restaurants, things regular humans and faunus could do to their leisure. Yet, Penny still didn't feel like she truly understood what it meant to be human. Even when surrounded by friends Penny felt isolated, alone, she felt as if she did not belong among humans and faunus.

"..." She looked down at her right hand, examining the skin like coating that covered it. "... I just don't understand…"

"Understand what?" Penny jumped up from the new voice and looked behind her quickly. She was greeted to an older looking gentleman wearing a black biker jacket and black cargo pants with a purple scarf wrapped around his neck. On his waist was a strange white belt with a red strap. He was leaning against a white motorcycle parked a few feet away from the young cyborg.

"Who… Who are you?" She asked while keeping her guard up a little.

"Oh… I'm just an old man passing through. I overheard you talking to yourself and saw that you looked troubled. So I wanted to see if you were okay young lady." He walked over to Penny but kept a small distance between them in case she did not want to be approached. Penny gave the man a look over and figured he wasn't that suspicious looking, granted he appeared a bit old to be a biker. She turned back toward the sunset and sighed softly.

"I'm…." She hesitated before speaking again, "I don't really know if I'm okay…. I've been asking myself a bunch of questions lately…" She looked down back at her hands and clenched them tightly. "Mainly… questioning my humanity..."

The older gentleman walked over to her and sat down next to Penny. "Hmm…. Humanity huh? A lot of people question what humanity really is or what it means for theirself. Loads of questions, yet very little answers actually achieved."

"... I just wish I had an answer already…." Penny pulled her knees in close and wrapped her arms around them, burying her head on her legs.

"If I may ask…. What brought you to this point of questioning your own humanity young lady?" Penny looked up at him as she hesitated to answer his question.

"... Lately…. I've made some new friends since I got to the city and… For the first time I feel like I've made 'real' friends and not just people pretending to be my friends because they're told to by my father. However, when I'm with them, I feel as if I don't truly belong…. My friend Ruby, she tells me everything is okay. She always assures me everyone is happy to see me around, but I just can't shake off these feelings of doubt in my mind." She looked up at the older gentlemen, her eyes full of sorrow, "Sir… what does humanity mean to you…?"

He was silent for a moment, thinking of what he could really say to the young girl. He finally spoke, "To me… humanity means not letting go of what makes me who I am. Since I've been alive, I've gone through many trials and hardships. I have made numerous enemies but countless allies. Many of whom look up to me for leadership and guidance on what they should do with their lives or how to move on from their own hardships. I always do what I can to support those in need, even if it means sacrificing something in return. However, I will always hold onto my kindness, I will never forsake it for selfish wants or goals."

Penny stared at him for a while, seeing the stern expression he carried in his face while he stared off into the distance. His words resonating with her as she thought about what makes her who she is. She was destined to save the world, yet was that really all she was meant for?

"Mister…. Can I ask you something?"

"What is on your mind young lady?"

"... Do you believe a Cyborg can understand what Humanity is?" There was silence for a moment until he burst out in laughter. Penny stared at the older gentleman as he tried to contain his laughter; Anger & confusion beginning to build up inside her.

"W-What's so funny?!"

He soon calmed down, wiping away a tear from his eye. "Oh I'm sorry miss. It's just, I've been asked that questions many times in my life and it always used to bother me when I really thought about it. But I believe a Cyborg is capable of understanding what humanity is. I believe a Cyborg could even learn to know what it means to be a human. Whether they were a cyborg created to live among humans, or a human turned into one."

"Wait… a human… turned into a cyborg? Is that even possible?"

The older gentlemen smirked at her question. "Completely possible. I've met people like that in my life, and they all have their own reasons to keep living on normally despite the drastic setback."

"They kept living on even with the setbacks…?" She thought for a moment, if these people were able to continue to live normally despite their unfortunate circumstances, what was stopping her from doing the same thing? She may be a cyborg but that doesn't mean she can't live like a normal human, specially when she has friends that treat her like she already is one.

"Mister… let's say for example… I knew someone that was a cyborg and they were confused on what to do with their life because they were created this way. What could I say to them to help them understand they can still live a normal life?"

He thought a moment, thinking of a proper response. He smiled as he turned toward Penny, "I think you should tell them that they should continue to do the things that give them joy in their life. Tell them to not look at this change as a negative, but to look at it as a new challenge to overcome. If they truly believe in their own humanity, they'll keep moving forward." He stood up from the cliff, putting his biker gloves back on, and walked back to his motorcycle. Penny got up quickly to follow him.

"W-Wait! You're going already…?"

"Unfortunately yes, I remembered I have somewhere to be right now. But I hope my words have helped you a little. Remember to never give up on yourself and on your humanity."

"I won't… Thank you Mr… um…"

"Hongo. Takeshi Hongo." He gave the young girl one final Smile before revving up his bikes engines and driving off. Penny watched the gentleman ride off into the distance, remembering his kind and wise words.

"Thank you Mister Hongo… I hope we meet again one day..."

 **And there you have. A little One-shot of our favorite little Polendina meeting the Rider that started it all. I hope you all enjoyed the story, and if Penny did seem a bit OOC I do apologize. Until next time everyone~**


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